Shindagha Corridor – Infinity Bridge

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Project synopsis

This project was split into five separate contracts awarded to four different contractors. Over time Tony Gee has been commissioned on all five projects for various Construction Engineering commissions – generally associated with Temporary Works Design and Verification but including other construction stage activities and investigations.

Contractor

Besix

End client

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) - Government of Dubai

The Shindagha Corridor improvements project was commissioned in 2018 by RTA in Dubai to increase the traffic capacity crossing Dubai Creek along the coast. The existing tunnel – built in 1970s - had long been over-capacity. The new works involved several kilometres of multi-lane viaduct with an iconic arch bridge the so-called Infinity Bridge for the main crossing.

The project was split into five separate contracts awarded to four different contractors. Over time Tony Gee has been commissioned on all five projects for various Construction Engineering commissions – generally associated with Temporary Works Design and Verification but including other construction stage activities and investigations.

For the main bridge contractor Besix engaged us very early in proceedings for advice on the construction as in-situ balanced cantilevers. Initially we were able to prove the depth of the cantilever at the root meant that large steel towers envisaged in the tender docs would be superfluous.

The removal of several hundred tonnes of steel towers from the tender price went some way to winning Besix the project and securing Tony Gee follow-on work in support. We were awarded commissions including the checking of early-stage Temporary Works designs and then more detailed studies including the verification of the Erection Stress Analysis and the verification of the geometry control for the progressive construction of the in situ balanced cantilevers.

The latter exercises involved the production of a full structural model for the concrete works using MIDAS software. Technical manager Mohammad Eleyyan has presented externally on the processes used in the modelling and would be pleased to run this further within Tony Gee.

Following successful closure of the bridge we were invited to produce the necessary construction analysis for the arch construction – permanent works under temporary loading – and in particular the stressing of the cables supporting the walkway from the arches.